After spending a delightful six days last summer getting to know Sarajevo, its atmosphere and people, I'm returning - and constantly learning more - through cyber-revisits. A Facebook post from a Bosniak I met last June reminds me that Ramadan just ended. Now is the three-day period known as Bajram, from the Turkish for 'festival.' Muslims in the southern Balkans (where the Ottoman Empire had the greatest influence on Europe) have family gatherings, exchange gifts, visit the graves of loved ones, give alms and, of course, eat. They also give thanks to God for granting them strength and self-discipline during the period of fasting.

Last year, I was there just as Ramadan was beginning. For a more thorough discussion, please see this link (from which I borrowed a couple of the above photos).

Additions to the Galloping Gypsy site:Music - I've added four videos, one old Gypsy-inspired classic, "Zigeunerweisen," the Gypsy anthem "Djelem, djelem" and two clips from my most recent headline act. Also please check the Events page, where I'm constantly updating the calendar--especially for local Eastern Shore of VA cultural events.

Live Aid at 30
During the first few summer weeks after my first year of college, I'd been anticipating Live Aid, the concert held at Wembley (London) and JFK (Philadelphia) Stadiums and linked by satellite. Billed as a global jukebox, it was organized mainly by Bob Geldof of the Boomtown Rats to raise funds for a famine-stricken Ethiopia. It featured some of the leading bands of the day, including a very spirited set by U2, complete with a crowd-diving Bono, and a reunion performance by Led Zeppelin (minus deceased drummer John Bonham, whose place was taken by Phil Collins and Tony Thompson).

My memory of all the events are growing foggy with the years, but I recall getting off work at noon and rushing to a musician friend's house for the marathon. There were moments when it seemed magic--technology bringing the world closer, Phil Collins taking the Concorde so that he could play in both London and Philly.

Now, when I look back at footage, things seem less ideal. The logistics of getting so many bands in succession on and off stage were daunting. Sound checks were often denied. But one group pulled off an amazingly crisp and polished performance--so good that Elton John burst into their dressing room afterwards, shouting "You guys totally stole the show!" That group was Queen.

They bounced onto stage full of energy, and soon Freddie Mercury had the crowd of 70,000eating out of the palm of his hand, singing and clapping along. I recall one detail perfectly: the call-and-response routine: Eh-oh. What a way to draw your audience in.

Having recently rediscovered that Queen set on YouTube, I try to channel a bit of that spirit every time I get on stage now (even though I'm no Mercury and I don't do the Eh-oh). Performers can learn a thing or two from this clip about establishing a rapport with their audience by watching--and many critics argue that it was the best rock performance ever.

Like some previous posts, this one is a mix of music and international/travel stuff, mainly providing links for readers to explore. I'm going to start in Alaska and move west till we land in Ohio.

I want to fill readers in on updated links and videos on the site. Also, look for video material of my recent headline act at the 1st Wednesday Open Mike Night at the Great Machipongo Clam Shack. Coming up soon.

Last fall, the Leo Tolstoy estate at Yasnaya Polyana sponsored a 36-hour world-wide internet reading, connecting readers from various places in Russia (11 time zones there!) as well as New York, LA and other US cities, a couple of scholars from South Korean universities and elsewhere. It set a Guinness record for largest audience for a live-stream reading.

Click on this pic of Fyokla Tolstaya, the author's great-granddaughter, for the Moscow Times (English) story about this coming September's "Chekhov is Alive" marathon.

It's a modern version of a folk tune called "Macejko" [MAH-tseh-ko, a form of "Matthew"]. No deeper meaning than a guy goes to winnow lentils, forgets his flails and has to go back home for it. He asks his wife what she did with them; he says she could find it blind... The refrain says, "Hey, Macejko, play for me on the thin string, followed by nonsense syllables. This has been done in so many versions, well-known for its use of a West-Slovak dialect called Záhoracký.

I used to sing it in a chorus in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. Now I'm working on an acoustic version of my own. Here's a sample of the "traditional" Macejko, as sung by the group Senzus, which electrifies folk music to a degree. They're one of the most popular groups in Slovakia--if you go to a wedding or similar celebration there, you'll probably here their music (recorded or re-interpreted by a live band). Lots of csardas!

Swiss President's Rail Commute

Couldn't resist this one. Having traveled Switzerland this way myself - the country has the densest rail network in the world - I know how easy it is to get around. Click the pic for full story.

Mozart's Café (Columbus, OH) and Classical Music

Finally, by way of Austria, we come back around to Columbus, Ohio. Mozart's Café was founded about twenty years ago by Indian native Anand Saha, who studied hospitality in Switzerland, where he also met his Tyrolean (Austrian) wife. The two have been very successful in promoting fabulous pastries of Alpine and Central European origin, such as Dombos torte, a Hungarian layered sponge cake with chocolate buttercream and caramel, stuff that's really hard to find in the States.

And they also promote the arts. So I'm also adding them to my links page.

Here's an example of how (from their e-newsletter):

Dallas-based arts organization Open Classical is working to establish a national touring pipeline for classical musicians, similar to what exists in the pop industry. They're in the midst of a national tour to spread awareness for the project, and they're stopping in Columbus next week for a free concert at Mozart's!

I spent hundreds of hours at their restaurant, reading my grad school assignments, editing dissertation chapters, all in their very European atmosphere, charging my brain with desserts and coffee. And of course enjoying the (recorded and live) music. Wish I could have been there Tuesday for the performance. Here's a clip of Neo Camarata/Open Classical: